Final former Salisbury University student sentenced to 18 months for off-campus attack

The 14th and final former Salisbury University student convicted of an off-campus attack in 2024 was sentenced this week to 18 months in prison, according to court documents. 

Zachary Leinemann, 19, was one of 15 students who were initially charged with false imprisonment, assault and a hate crime offense after one of them created a Grindr account and posed as a teen to lure a victim to an apartment near the university campus. 

Grindr is a dating app used mostly by gay and bisexual men. 

Off-campus attack 

The victim was slapped, punched and kicked by "approximately 15 college-aged males," who also spat on and called the victim an anti-gay slur, according to investigators. 

Once the victim escaped, he was hospitalized for a broken rib. An investigation led to the arrests of 15 university students, who initially faced a laundry list of charges, including felony assault and hate crime charges. 

The charges were later reduced to misdemeanor false imprisonment and assault for most of the suspects. 

According to university officials, the students were banned from campus property, virtual and online classes, and university-sponsored events. They were also suspended by their Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity chapter.

One of the former students, Benjamin Brandenburg, was acquitted. 

Attackers sentenced 

Leinemann was sentenced to six years, with all but 18 months suspended. He was also ordered to serve three years of probation, court records show. 

He pleaded guilty to assault and false imprisonment on August 14. 

The additional 14 attackers all pleaded guilty and have been sentenced. Here's how much time they got, according to court records: 

1. Bennan Aird pleaded guilty to assault and was sentenced to 85 days in prison and 18 months of probation 
2. Cameron Guy pleaded guilty to assault and was sentenced to 83 days in prison and 18 months of probation 
3. Cruz Cespedes pleaded guilty to assault and was sentenced to six months in prison and 18 months of probation 
4. Dylan Earp pleaded guilty to assault and was sentenced to one year in prison and 18 months of probation 
5. Dylan Pietuszka pleaded guilty to false imprisonment and was sentenced to 79 days and 18 months of probation 
6. Elijah Johnson pleaded guilty to assault and false imprisonment and was sentenced to 18 months in prison and three years of probation 
7. Eric Sinclair pleaded guilty to assault and was sentenced to one day in prison and three years of probation 
8. Jacob Howard pleaded guilty to false imprisonment and was sentenced to 83 days in prison and 18 months of probation 
9. Logan Clark pleaded guilty to false imprisonment and was sentenced to 68 days in prison and 18 months of probation 
10. Patrick Gutierrez pleaded guilty to false imprisonment and was sentenced to 56 days in prison and 18 months of probation 
11. Riley Brister pleaded guilty to assault and was sentenced to one year in prison and 18 months of probation
12. Ryder Baker pleaded guilty to assault and was sentenced to one year in prison and 18 months of probation 
13. Sean Antone pleaded guilty to false imprisonment and was sentenced to two days in prison and 18 months of probation
14. Zachary Leinemann pleaded guilty to assault and false imprisonment and was sentenced to 18 months in prison and three years of probation